Portal:Ancient Near East
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 Rather than being a single country, Phoenician civilization was organized in city-states. Each city-state was an independent unit politically, although they could come into conflict, be dominated by another city-state, or collaborate in leagues or alliances. Tyre (Lebanon) and Sidon were the most powerful Phoenician states in the Levant, but were not as powerful as the North African ones would come to be. The Phoenicians were also the first state level society to make extensive use of the alphabet, and the Phoenician alphabet is considered to be the ancestor of all modern alphabets. It was adopted by the Aramaeans, who spread it through the ancient Near East, which led to the Hebrew, Indian and Arabic alphabets. And through their maritime trade, the Phoenicians spread the use of the alphabet to North Africa and Europe where it was adopted by the Greeks and ultimately by all European languages.  Selected biography
 After ascending the throne, he started two major campaigns against Egypt. The first campaign failed, and was followed by rebellions throughout the western empire. However, in 343 BC, he defeated Nectanebo II, the Pharaoh of Egypt, driving him from the country, and stopping a revolt in Phoenicia on the way. Later, he countered Philip II of Macedon who was gaining power in Greece. In his later life, he renewed building activity at Persepolis, erecting a new palace and building his tomb. It is generally assumed he was poisoned by his minister Bagoas, but a cuneiform tablet (now in the British Museum) suggests he died of natural causes. Did you know...
 ...that the Aramaic language, the lingua franca of the ancient Near East in Biblical times is still spoken as a first language today? ...that the syllabic cuneiform script was adapted to create a phonetic alphabet twice, for the Ugaritic language and for the Old Persian language?
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